MAN’S GREAT END
From The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions
LORD OF ALL BEING,
There is one thing that deserves my greatest care,
that calls forth my ardent desires,
That is, that I may answer the great end for which
I am made —
to glorify thee who hast given me being,
and to do all the good I can for my fellow men;
Verily, life is not worth having
if it be not improved for this noble purpose.
Yet, Lord, how little is this the thought of mankind!
Most men seem to live for themselves,
without much or any regard for thy glory,
or for the good of others;
They earnestly desire and eagerly pursue
the riches, honours, pleasures of this life,
as if they supposed that wealth, greatness,
merriment,
could make their immortal souls happy;
But, alas, what false delusive dreams are these!
And how miserable ere long will those be that
sleep in them,
for all our happiness consists in loving thee,
and being holy as thou art holy.
O may I never fall into the tempers and vanities,
the sensuality and folly of the present world!
It is a place of inexpressible sorrow, a vast empty
nothingness;
Time is a moment, a vapour,
and all its enjoyments are empty bubbles,
fleeting blasts of wind,
from which nothing satisfactory can be derived;
Give me grace always to keep in covenant with thee,
and to reject as delusion a great name here
or hereafter,
together with all sinful pleasures or profits.
Help me to know continually
that there can be no true happiness,
no fulfilling of thy purpose for me,
apart from a life lived in and for
the Son of thy love.
Available from The Banner of Truth: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/devotional-books/the-valley-of-vision/
Contrast the above with this from the world…
I Can’t Get No Satisfaction
written by Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, and Gary Barlow
I can't get no satisfaction I can't get no satisfaction 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try I can't get no, I can't get no When I'm drivin' in my car And a man comes on the radio He's tellin' me more and more About some useless information Supposed to fire my imagination I can't get no Oh no no no Hey hey hey That's what I say I can't get no satisfaction I can't get no satisfaction 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try I can't get no, I can't get no When I'm watchin' my TV And a man comes on and tells me How white my shirts can be But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke The same cigarettes as me I can't get no Oh no no no Hey hey hey That's what I say I can't get no satisfaction I can't get no girl reaction 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try I can't get no, I can't get no When I'm ridin' round the world And I'm doin' this and I'm signin' that And I'm tryin' to make some girl Who tells me baby better come back maybe next week 'Cause you see I'm on a losing streak I can't get no Oh no no no Hey hey hey That's what I say I can't get no, I can't get no I can't get no satisfaction No satisfaction, no satisfaction No satisfaction, I can't get no
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